Package of rolls of sheet material



.MV 29, w47. J. n. CONT:

PACKAGE OF ROLLS OF SHEET MATERIAL v INVENTOR JDHN l2 COA/Tl Filed Janu 5, 1944 fluluugn- BY :frm/ A.

. ATTORNEY Patented July 29, 1947 UNITED STATES SGZiVCh HOOYT:

PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE OF ROLLS OF SHEET MATERIAL Delaware Application January 5, 1944, Serial No. 517,007

Claims. l

This invention relates to a container for packaging and shipping rolls of sheet material and, in particular, relates to a package for slitted rolls of non-fibrous sheet material.

In the art to which this invention appertains the term slitted roll means a roll of sheet material of relatively narrow width, usually a fraction of the width of the full-sized roll as manufactured, and the term slitted" roll is used herein in that manner.

When slitted rolls of non-fibrous material such as Cellophane are packaged and shipped according to prior methods, the rolls are separately wrapped or they are loosely packed in a common container, in which they are subject to movement which often causes them to telescope. i. e., the center of the roll slips out of alignment with the circumference of the roll. In the case of slitted rolls of Cellophane, this telescoping tendency is emphasized both because of the extreme smoothness of the Cellophane and because of the narrowness of the roll which also reduces the resistance to slide. Thus when slitted rolls of Cellophane are shipped in a loose container even a slight impact is sometimes suicient to cause the roll to telescope. In extreme cases of telescoping the center core of the roll becomes disengaged from the sheet material and thus permits the roll to unravel from the center and become irreparably tangled. Even when telescoping does not progress to such an extreme condition, serious damage may easily be caused inasmuch as a partially telescoped roll is more subject to damage on the edges of the sheet material and will not feed properly in automatic Wrapping machines. It is well known in the Cellophane art that an unbroken edge offers great resistance to tearing but the presence of a break in the edge renders Cellophane extremely susceptible to tearing. It is obvious, therefore, that the above-described condition must be avoided, and '.-hat there is great need for a method of packaging and shipping slitted rolls which prevents damage to the edge of the sheet material.

An additional problem has arisen in the packaging and storing of slitted rolls of moistureproof Cellophane. Moistureproof Cellophane normally has on its surface a thermoplastic coating, adjacent layers of which tend even at low temperatures under long continued pressure to coalesce and stick together. It is apparent, therefore, that if a roll of moistureproof Cellophane is permitted t0 lie on its circumference for an extended period of time, the various layers of the Cellophane will ultimately adhere to each other. If such a roll is then passed through high speed machinery the probability is very great that the sheet will be torn.

When slitted rolls are individually wrapped in paper or the like they are packed into a box or other similar container for shipping. When such a method of packing is used the rolls are somewhat loose and subject to movement and accordingly the rolls frequently become telescoped. Likewise the easy movement of the rolls permits pressure to be exerted against the circumference of the rolls with the consequent adhesion between layers of the sheet material. In addition, the flimsy nature of the wrapping fails to protect the rolls from damage.

An object of my invention is to provide a container for packaging and shipping rolls of smooth non-fibrous sheet material.

Another object of my invention is to provide a container for packaging and shipping rolls of Cellophane, and in particular to provide a container for packaging and shipping slitted rolls of Cellophane.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a container for packaging and shipping slitted rolls of moistureproof Cellophane.

Other objects of my invention are in part obvious and in part will become apparent from the following description.

According to my invention a plurality of slitted rolls of sheet material having hollow cores are packaged in a common container comprislng a cylinder, an arbor passing through the cores of the rolls, disks positioned between the individual rolls, said disks co-acting with the arbor and the cylinder to suspend the rolls from the cores.

The term arbor as used hereinafter throughout the specification and the claims refers to a relatively long, substantially round bar consisting either of one unitary piece or of a plurality of segments more or less firmly fastened together.

Accordingly, my invention comprises the article having the elements and the relation of elements one to another as described in the following description and in the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of one embodiment of the container.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a roll-separating disk and arbor according to one embodiment of my invention.

Figure 3 is a cross section of the container of Figure l showing a portion of the contents removed.

Figure 4 is a side view partly in section of a second embodiment of the container.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a disk and a section of the arbor used in one embodiment; of my invention.

The main container is preferably a. cylinder I 0, the construction of which will vary depending on the nature of the rolls to be contained therein, and the choice of a suitable construction material will be obvious to one skilled in the art. When my container is being used for the packing and shipping of slitted rolls of moistureproof Cellophane, I prefer to use a cylinder of sti.r cardboard or chipped board although a container formed of a metallic or plastic material will be satisfactory.

Generally this cylinder will be closed at the I lower end II and provided with a removable cap I2 at the other end I3, although it will be obvious that removable caps may be provided at both ends. A satisfactory closure has been described in co-pending application oi Harry S. Brown, Serial No. 421,591 iiled December 4, 1941 which has matured into Patent No. 2,354,498.

Within the cylinder I0 there is provided in that embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 a protective liner I4, the nature of which may be varied according to the contents. For example, when rolls I5 of Cellophane are to be packaged in my container this protective liner is preferably moistureproof and waterproof. A suitable liner comprises a laminated sheet of waxed paper and moistureproof Cellophane surrounding the contents of the container. Another suitable liner comprises a moistureproof and waterproof coating applied to the inner surface of the cylinder I 0 such as, for example, a coating of a cellulose derivative, wax, rubber, a synthetic resin and the like.

To prevent movement of the slitted rolls I5 lengthwise of the container III there is provided an arbor which, according to one embodiment of my invention comprises a long rigid bar suitably constructed of wood, metal, a hard plastic material. It is contemplated that this arbor may be a unitary bar I 6 as shown in Figure 1 passing through the centers of the rolls, or that it may be composed of a plurality of strips laminated together to form a continuous bar. In another embodiment the arbor comprises a plurality of short sections I6a adapted to fit tightly into the cores I'I of the rolls I5 and thus the sections and the cores together comprise the arbor.

To prevent transverse movement of the rolls, disks I8 of a slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the rolls are placed between the rolls I5 so that the edges of the disks extend beyond the edges of the rolls. The disks I8 are substantially rigid and at and may be formed of material similar to that of the cylinder III. They may be free to revolve around the arbor but preferably t snugly and are rmly xed in position. According to one embodiment of my invention where the arbor consists of sections Isa, it is contemplated that the disks I8 may be integrally attached to adjacent sections I6a to form the article illustrated in Figure 5.

According to another embodiment shown in Figure 2, the arbor I6 of Figure 1 is provided with projections 25 yrunning lengthwise thereof and the disks may be provided with corresponding notches adapted to engage the said projections thereby preventing the disks from revolving.

tainer in that (a) they prevent telescoping of the rolls, and (b) serve to suspend the rolls from their centers or cores. Thus, the disks pressed iirmly against each end of a roll completely eliminate the tendency of the roll to telescope and thereby provide adequate protection for the edges of the sheet material. In addition, the disks, having a diameter greater than that of the roll, in conjunction with the arbor serve to prevent the roll from resting on its circumference and thereby prevent the exertion of pressure on the circumference of the roll with the subsequent adhesion of adjacent layers.

In assembling the container there is selected an arbor having a length slightly greater than the total length of the several slitted rolls when stacked edge to edge. There is first applied to the lower end of the arbor a collar 20 which is xed to the arbor by suitable means such as nails 2|. A disk I8 is then slipped over the arbor and allowed to rest upon the collar 28. A slitted roll is then slipped over the ar-bor following which another disk I8 is added, and this is repeated until all the rolls are in position as shown in Figure 1. Thereafter there is applied to the projecting upper end of the arbor a second collar 20a which is also xed to the arbor by suitable means such as nails 2l. Thereafter the arbor carrying the plurality of rolls is wrapped or inserted in the liner I4, the ends of the liner being folded over the ends of the roll, and finally a paper disk 22 is applied over the folded ends of the liner. The package thus produced is inserted in the cylinder I8 so that the upper and lower collar t into recesses 23 formed by the blocks 24 which are attached to the inner surface of the enclosure II and the cap I2. The cap is then pressed down firmly over the end of the roll so as to apply pressure to the packaged rolls, the cap being held in place by suitable means such as staples. It should be noted that in Figure 4 the liner is omitted and that pressure is applied to the stacked rolls by forcing the cap I2 against the top disk I8 thus preventing movement of the rolls longitudinally of the container.

When the container arrives at the place of use the cap I2 is removed, the wrapped rolls are removed from the cylinder IIJ, the lower end of the liner I4 is opened, the collar 20 is removed, the liner is then folded back against the end, the rolls are then placed back into the container. Thereafter the upper end of the liner I4 is opened and the arbor I6 is completely withdrawn. The rolls may now be removed one at a time, and after such removal the upper end of the liner I4 may be closed by folding or twisting as shown in Figure 3. In that embodiment shown in Figure 4 when the cap I2 is removed the rolls may be removed individually without first removing all the rolls because the arbor is not continuous.

Figure 5 shows a segment of the arbor used in the embodiment shown in Figure 4. This segment comprisestwo disks I8 fastened rmly together and provided with two round projections fastened integrally thereto. The diameter of these projections is roughly the same as the internal diameter of the cores of the rolls, thereby preventing movement of the rolls transverse of the container.

Numerous variations in the construction of my new container will be obvious to those skilled in the art. For example, the lock collar shown in Figure 1 may be an integral part of either or both ends oi' the container. Thus it has been found The disks I8 have a dual function in the con- 76 valuable in many instances to provide at the botuna! UH Om tom of the container a depression into which the arbor may be snugly fitted. In this Way the arbor becomes firmly fastened to the outer container and thus motion of the contents during shipping is further restricted. Likewise the arbor which is shown in the various figures as being substantially round may be irregular in shape and the disks between the rolls may similarly be irregular in shape and thus prevent it from revolving.

My new container has been particularly described with reference to its use as a container for slitted rolls of Cellophane. However, it is to be understood that it is equally adaptable for use in packaging and shipping rolls of other sheet materials. Thus, for example, it would provide a satisfactory container for packing and shipping rolls of paper, cloth, and the like.

Numerous advantages of my new container will become obvious from a study of the foregoing description and from a consideration of the practical problems arising in the packing and shipping of rolls of sheet material. My new container provides a convenient, secure, and economical method for packing and shipping rolls of sheet material. Rolls packed in this container are prevented from telescoping and from the damage caused thereby. The construction of my container prevents undesirable pressure from being exerted on the circumference of the roll and thus helps prevent adhesion between rolls of the sheet material as well as protecting the contents from damage during shipping. The container also minimizes drying out of Cellophane or other sheet material which may be packed in the container even after the container is opened and part of the contents removed and prevents contamination. Other advantages will also be evident from the hereinabove description.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description of my invention is merely illustrative and that my invention is not to be limited in scope to this description.

I claim:

1. A shipping package for nonbrous sheet material comprising a roll of nonilbrous sheet material having a hollow core, @arbor passing through said core and projecting'therffrom at each end stiff perforate disks of diameter larger than the roll threaded on the arbor adjacent each end of the roll, a lock collar secured to each projecting end of the arbor and pressing securely against the disks, a protective liner of nonfibrous sheet material completely enclosing the roll, arbor, disks and collars, its ends folded over and closely Wrapped about the projecting ends of the arbor, a lock disk inserted over each wrapped end of the arbor securing the liner against the arbor and preventing its loosening and unwrapp-ing, and a protective outer cylinder having covers at each end adjacent the lock disks enclosing said liner and contents, the stiff perforated disks Within the liner closely tting the walls of the cylinder through the liner, preventing movement of the nonhrous sheet material roll within the cylinder.

2. A shipping package for nonfibrous sheet material in accordance with claim 1 in which the liner is formed of a laminate of cellophane and kraft paper, the Cellophane surface contacting the nonfibrous sheet material roll, and the kraft paper surface contacting the inner Wall of the cylinder.

3. A shipping package for nonbrous sheet material in accordance with claim l in which the lock disk is integral with the cover of the protective outer cylinder.

4. A shipping package for nonbr'ous sheet material in accordance with claim 1 in which a plurality of rolls separated from each other by a stiff perforate disk are enclosed by the linerl 5. A shipping package for nonbrous sheet material in accordance with claim 1 in which a means is provided upon the arbor adapted to reciprocate with a corresponding means upon each stiff perforate disk and prevent rotation of the disks about the arbor.

JOHN D. CONTI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 653,211 Calkins July 10, 1900 1,785,975 Phillips Dec. 23, 1930 2,164,505 Edwards July 4, 1939 2,291,838 Shoan Aug, 4, 1942 1,114,660 West Oct. 20, 1914 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 681,779 France Feb. 4, 1930 396,689 Great Britain July 31, 1933 

